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Watch: 'Dating a disabled man? Why don't you find a proper partner?'

About time disabled stop being patronised, commissioner says

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Oliver Scicluna underlines the problems of being a disabled man in a country where prejudices still run rife.

"We're used to being patronised," said Mr Scicluna, the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability tells Times Talk.

Mr Scicluna says he felt compelled to talk about sparking a debate about the need of sex workers for the disabled because too many are suffering psychologically and physically in silence.

"I know paralysed people who never had the opportunity to enjoy their sexual life, even on their own," says the commissioner, who has faced relentless attacks for suggesting the need to break down sexual taboos.

He speaks about the prejudices that he personally faced as a disabled man when he started dating and had a child.

"I could never invest in certain relationships because of my disability. Others faced pressure from family members."

Though there have been advances in the disability sector in Malta, he called for a mentality shift which goes beyond providing certain facilities for those in need.

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